Thanks to grippy all-wheel-drive and a ballsy 300bhp, the
new Golf R is even more fun to play with than the Golf GTI.
The latest Mk 7 Golf R is one of the
hottest pocket rockets in Europe right now, and Volkswagen chose to launch it
in one of the coldest inhabited places on the continent – Arvidsjaur in
northern Sweden, a popular locale for cold-weather road-testing by automakers.
When I was there, the temperature
hovered between -10 and -12 degree C. That’s really cold.
And the new Golf R is really hot, with
its turbo 2-litre engine developing 300bhp and 380Nm – significantly more than
the Golf GTI’s 220bhp and 350Nm. But it’s not an all-new power plant, being
essentially the GTI motor with choice modifications made to the turbocharger,
pistons, valves and cylinder head. The same souped-up engine powers the Audi
S3, albeit with a 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic instead of VW’s usual 6-speed
DSG.
The same souped-up engine powers the Audi S3, albeit with a 7-speed
dual-clutch S tronic instead of VW’s usual 6-speed DSG.
That healthy, bassy output is sent to
the tarmac via Volkswagen’s 4Motion permanent all-wheel-drive system, which
employs an electro-hydraulically activated Haldex coupling to automatically
apportion the torque between the front axle and rear axle – pushing nearly 100
percent of the available Newton-metres to the latter if necessary, making the
Golf R almost rear-drive during the “necessary” moments in question.
Four electronic differential locks (or
EDS for short), integrated with the Electronic Stability Control (ESC), briefly
brake any wheel that is slipping, so as to “transfer” power to the wheel on the
opposite side. All these devices, whether mechanical or “electrical”, aim to
deliver optimal traction in any given driving situation.
All these devices, whether mechanical or “electrical”, aim to deliver
optimal traction in any given driving situation.
In this case, said situation comprises
tons of snow on a frozen Swedish lake (one of over 8,000 in the Arjeplog
municipality where I am), a few makeshift circuits “carved” from the ice
(including a slalom section and two giant circles), and plenty of open space to
throw the Golf Rs around – mostly sideways.
Yes, my task in Arvidsjaur is to drive
the VW like in a winter rally, but at much slower velocities (I’m neither a
talented rally driver nor a decent rally codriver) and with far fewer
spectators (just the instructors and other journos), hardly the best way to
review a high-performance hatchback, but surely the most fun.
The car is happy to play along, thanks
to its beautifully responsive powertrain, incisive acceleration and surefooted
suspension. The internally ventilated disc brakes, measuring 340mm by 30mm in
the front and 310mm by 22mm in the rear, are the same size as those on the
Performance spec GTI (the “GTI+” variant that didn’t come to Singapore).
The car is happy to play along, thanks to its beautifully responsive
powertrain, incisive acceleration and surefooted suspension.
Like in the GTI, it’s easy to hop into
the driver’s seat of the R and drive fast straightaway, with immediate
confidence. The 6-speed manual gearbox (Singapore will get the Golf R with a
6-speed dual-clutch auto box as standard) is a breeze, too – the well-shaped
gearlever slots neatly, and the clutch pedal is a cinch to operate.
As mentioned, the Golf R’s suspension
is surefooted, but in these “Ice Age” conditions, it’s more useful (not to
mention joyful) for the vehicle to slip and slide from one corner to the next.
Driving the car is as important as drifting it.
